Tuesday, August 15, 2023

China Zoo: Bear claimed to be "human in disguise" waves at zoo-goers 中國動物園:熊自稱“偽裝的人類”向動物園遊客揮手


The Telegraph on Youtube has the story.

A bear that became a social media celebrity after visitors claimed it looked like a “human in disguise” has been filmed appearing to wave at zoo-goers. 

Some 20,000 visitors are heading to Hangzhou Zoo in eastern China every day - an increase of almost a third - since the sun bear, known as Angela, went viral.

Footage has now emerged of the bear standing on its hind legs waving its right paw to the people gathered around its enclosure.

The so-called sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) is a species in the family Ursidae (the only species in the genus Helarctos) occurring in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. It is the smallest bear, standing nearly 70 cm (28 in) at the shoulder and weighing 25–65 kg (55–143 lb). It is stockily built, with large paws, strongly curved claws, small, rounded ears and a short snout. The fur is generally jet black, but can vary from grey to red. The sun bear really gets its name from its characteristic colorful orange to cream-coloured chest patch. Its unique morphology—inward-turned front feet, flattened chest, powerful forelimbs with large claws—suggests adaptations for climbing.

The most arboreal (tree-living) of all bears, the sun bear is an excellent climber and sunbathes or sleeps in trees 2 to 7 m (7 to 23 ft) above the ground. It is mainly active during the day, though nocturnality might be more common in areas frequented by humans. Sun bears tend to remain solitary, but sometimes occur in twos (such as a mother and her cub). They do not seem to hibernate, possibly because food resources are available the whole year throughout the range. Being omnivores, sun bears' diet includes ants, bees, beetles, honey, termites, and plant material such as seeds and several kinds of fruits; vertebrates such as certain birds and deer are also eaten occasionally. They breed throughout the year; individuals become sexually mature at two to four years of age. Litters comprise one or two cubs that remain with their mother for around three years.

The range of the sun bear is bounded by northeastern India to the north then south to southeast through Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam in mainland Asia to Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia to the south. These bears are threatened by heavy deforestation and illegal hunting for food and the wildlife trade; they are also harmed in conflicts with various humans when they enter farmlands, plantations, and orchards. The global population is estimated to have declined by 35% since the 1990s. The IUCN has listed this species as vulnerable.

Chinese Translation:

YouTube 上的《電訊報》報導了這個故事。

一隻熊因遊客聲稱它看起來像“喬裝打扮的人類”而成為社交媒體名人,有人拍到它似乎在向動物園遊客揮手。

自從太陽熊“安吉拉”走紅以來,每天約有 2 萬名遊客前往中國東部的杭州動物園,這一數字增加了近三分之一。

現在出現的視頻顯示,這隻熊用後腿站立,向聚集在其圍欄周圍的人們揮舞著右爪。

所謂的馬來熊 (Helarctos malayanus) 是熊科 (Helarctos) 中的一個物種(Helarctos 屬中的唯一物種),生活在東南亞的熱帶森林中。 它是最小的熊,站立時肩高近 70 厘米(28 英寸),體重 25-65 公斤(55-143 磅)。 它體格粗壯,爪子很大,爪子彎曲得很厲害,耳朵又小又圓,鼻子很短。 皮毛通常是深黑色,但也可以從灰色到紅色。 太陽熊的名字來源於它特有的橙色到奶油色的胸前斑塊。 它獨特的形態——內翻的前腳、扁平的胸部、強大的前肢和大爪子——表明它適應攀爬。

太陽熊是所有熊類中最喜歡樹棲(在樹上生活)的動物,是出色的攀爬者,在距地面 2 至 7 m(7 至 23 英尺)的樹上曬日光浴或睡覺。 它主要在白天活動,儘管夜間活動在人類經常光顧的地區可能更常見。 太陽熊往往獨居,但有時也會成雙成對(例如母親和她的幼崽)。 它們似乎不會冬眠,可能是因為整個範圍內全年都有食物資源。 作為雜食動物,馬來熊的食物包括螞蟻、蜜蜂、甲蟲、蜂蜜、白蟻以及植物材料,例如種子和幾種水果; 偶爾也會吃某些鳥類和鹿等脊椎動物。 它們全年繁殖; 個體在兩到四歲時性成熟。 一窩幼崽包括一兩隻幼崽,它們會和母親一起生活大約三年。

太陽熊的活動範圍北起印度東北部,然後南至東南,穿過亞洲大陸的孟加拉國、柬埔寨、緬甸、老撾、泰國和越南,南至文萊、印度尼西亞和馬來西亞。 這些熊受到嚴重森林砍伐、非法狩獵和野生動物貿易的威脅; 當它們進入農田、種植園和果園時,它們也會在與各種人類的衝突中受到傷害。 自 20 世紀 90 年代以來,全球人口估計已減少 35%。 世界自然保護聯盟已將該物種列為易危物種。

Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Woman knocked over by out-of-control suitcase left on escalator 女子被留在自动扶梯上的手提箱失控撞倒


Woman knocked over by out-of-control suitcase left on escalator.

South China Morning Post on YouTube has the story.

A woman was knocked over by an unattended suitcase which fell down an escalator at a metro station in eastern China’s Zhejiang province.

A so-called "escalator" is a moving staircase which carries people between floors of a building or structure. It consists of a motor-driven chain of individually linked steps on a track which cycle on a pair of tracks which keep the step tread horizontal.

Escalators are often used around the world in places where lifts would be impractical, or they can be used in conjunction with them. Principal areas of usage include department stores, shopping malls, airports, transit systems (railway/railroad stations), convention centers, hotels, arenas, stadiums and public buildings.

Escalators have the capacity to really move large numbers of people. They have no waiting interval (except during very heavy traffic). They can be used to guide people toward main exits or special exhibits and may be weatherproofed for outdoor use. A non-functional escalator can function as a normal staircase, whereas many other methods of transport become useless when they break down or lose power.

Chinese:

女子被留在自动扶梯上的手提箱失控撞倒。

YouTube 上的《南华早报》有这个故事。

在中国东部浙江省的一个地铁站,一名女子被无人看管的行李箱从自动扶梯上掉下来撞倒。

所谓的“自动扶梯”是一种在建筑物或构筑物的楼层之间载人的移动楼梯。 它由电机驱动的链条组成,轨道上有单独链接的梯级,在一对保持梯级踏面水平的轨道上循环。

自动扶梯经常在世界各地无法使用电梯的地方使用,或者可以与电梯结合使用。 主要使用区域包括百货商店、购物中心、机场、交通系统(火车站/火车站)、会议中心、酒店、竞技场、体育场和公共建筑。

自动扶梯确实能够运送大量人员。 他们没有等待间隔(除非交通非常繁忙)。 它们可用于引导人们走向主要出口或特殊展览,并且可以防风雨,适合户外使用。 不起作用的自动扶梯可以用作普通楼梯,而许多其他运输方式在发生故障或断电时就变得毫无用处。

out-of-control 失控
suitcase 手提箱
escalator 自动扶梯

‘Curious’ worker ignites foam, causes huge warehouse fire in China “好奇”工人点燃泡沫,引发中国仓库大火


‘Curious’ worker ignites foam, causes huge warehouse fire in China

South China Morning Post on Youtube has the story.

A warehouse storing EPE foam burst into flames after a worker ignited highly flammable foam rolls with a lighter in southern China’s Guangdong province.

Expanded polyethylene is an interesting product.

(Polyethylene foam) Expanded polyethylene (aka EPE foam) refers to foams made from polyethylene. Typically it is made from expanded pellets ('EPE bead') made with use of a blowing agent, followed by expansion into a mold in a steam chest - the process is similar to that used to make expanded polystyrene foam.

EPE foams are low density, semi-rigid, closed cell foam that are generally somewhere in stiffness/compliance between Expanded polystyrene and Polyurethane. Production of EPE foams is similar to that of expanded polystyrene, but starting with PE beads. Typical densities are 29 to 120 kg/m3 (49 to 202 lb/cu yd) with the lower figure being common. Densities as low as 14 kg/m3 (24 lb/cu yd) can be produced.

Base polymer for EPE foams range from Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) to High-density polyethylene (HDPE).

Expanded polyethylene copolymers (EPC) are also known - such as 50:50 (weight) materials with polystyrene. Though other properties are intermediate between the two bases, toughness for the copolymer exceeds either, with good tensile and puncture resistance. It is particularly applicable for re-usable products.

EPE foams were first manufactured in the 1970s.

Production of the PE beads is usually by extrusion, followed by chopping, producing a 'pellet'. Autoclave expansion is the most common route the bead foam. Butane or pentane is often used as a blowing agent (before 1992 CFCs may have been used). Depending on the specific process uses the beads may be cross-linked either by electron beam irradiation (see Electron beam processing), or by the addition of a chemical agent such as Dicumyl peroxide.

How easily does butane ignite? The Effects of Butane Exposure are interesting. Butane is highly flammable and can ignite easily through static electricity, open flames, or other ignition sources. As a combustible gas, butane concentrations anywhere between 1.6% and 8.4% can provide an explosive mixture with air.

An alternate route (JSP Process) to the beads uses carbon dioxide as a blowing agent which is impregnated into the pellets in an autoclave at a temperature close to the plastic's crystalline melting point. The pellets are foamed by "flashing" into the (lower pressure) atmosphere to expand.

Finally molding is done by steam chest compression molding; usually the low pressure variant of the process is used, though the high pressure variant may be used for HDPE based EPE foams.

Chinese:

“好奇”工人点燃泡沫,引发中国仓库大火

YouTube 上的《南华早报》有这个故事。

在中国南部广东省,一名工人用打火机点燃高度易燃的泡沫卷,一间存放 EPE 泡沫的仓库突然起火。

发泡聚乙烯是一种有趣的产品。

(聚乙烯泡沫)发泡聚乙烯(又名EPE泡沫)是指由聚乙烯制成的泡沫。 通常,它是由使用发泡剂制成的膨胀颗粒(“EPE 珠子”)制成,然后在蒸汽箱中膨胀到模具中 - 该过程类似于制造膨胀聚苯乙烯泡沫的过程。

EPE 泡沫是低密度、半刚性、闭孔泡沫,其硬度/柔顺性通常介于发泡聚苯乙烯和聚氨酯之间。 EPE 泡沫的生产与发泡聚苯乙烯的生产类似,但从 PE 珠开始。 典型密度为 29 至 120 kg/m3(49 至 202 lb/cu yd),其中较低的数字较为常见。 可以生产密度低至 14 kg/m3 (24 lb/cu yd) 的产品。

EPE 泡沫的基础聚合物范围从低密度聚乙烯 (LDPE) 到高密度聚乙烯 (HDPE)。

膨胀聚乙烯共聚物(EPC)也是已知的——例如与聚苯乙烯的50:50(重量)材料。 尽管其他性能介于这两种基材之间,但该共聚物的韧性超过了其中任何一种,并且具有良好的拉伸和抗穿刺性能。 它特别适用于可重复使用的产品。

EPE 泡沫首次生产于 20 世纪 70 年代。

PE 珠粒的生产通常是通过挤出,然后切碎,形成“颗粒”。 高压釜膨胀是珠粒泡沫最常见的途径。 丁烷或戊烷通常用作发泡剂(1992 年之前可能已使用 CFC)。 根据具体的工艺用途,珠子可以通过电子束照射(参见电子束处理)或通过添加化学试剂(例如过氧化二异丙苯)进行交联。

丁烷有多容易点燃? 接触丁烷的影响很有趣。 丁烷高度易燃,很容易通过静电、明火或其他火源点燃。 作为一种可燃气体,丁烷浓度在 1.6% 到 8.4% 之间时,可与空气形成爆炸性混合物。

生产珠粒的另一种途径(JSP 工艺)使用二氧化碳作为发泡剂,在接近塑料晶体熔点的温度下将二氧化碳浸渍到高压釜中的颗粒中。 颗粒通过“闪蒸”到(低压)大气中膨胀而发泡。

最后采用蒸汽室压缩成型进行成型; 尽管高压变体可用于基于 HDPE 的 EPE 泡沫,但通常使用该工艺的低压变体。